AVS 50th International Symposium
    Applied Surface Science Monday Sessions
       Session AS-MoM

Paper AS-MoM6
Investigation of the Tribological System of Roller Bearings with TOF-SIMS

Monday, November 3, 2003, 10:00 am, Room 324/325

Session: Practical Surface Science
Presenter: U. Gunst, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
Authors: U. Gunst, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
D. Lipinsky, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
W.-R. Zabel, Universität Hannover, Germany
G. Poll, Universität Hannover, Germany
H.F. Arlinghaus, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
Correspondent: Click to Email
Tribology is a term describing an important and often complicated set of topics involving friction, lubrication, and wear. The surface characterization of tribological systems is of high importance to enhance their lifetime and to reduce economical loss. We have used time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) in order to characterize the composition of tribosurfaces and of tribointerfaces of high speed rolling element bearings. Different TOF-SIMS methods (static TOF-SIMS, imaging, and depth profiling) were applied to investigate the elemental and molecular surface compositions as a result of interacting surfaces, friction, lubrication, and wear. Using static TOF-SIMS, semi-fluid lubricants, additives, the bearing steel, and the cage material were analyzed to establish reference information. The greases and roller bearing steel surfaces were investigated again after performing tribological test runs with real bearings under almost real application conditions. For these tests the additivation of the lubricants was varied using different primary, ashfree antioxidants. We used TOF-SIMS imaging for the characterization of these tribosurfaces within the race way of angular contact ball bearings. The depth composition of tribological boundary layers was analyzed by performing TOF-SIMS dual beam depth profiling on the top of roller bearing balls, as well as in the bearing race ways. Significant elemental and molecular species were found for lateral and depth distributions of different tribological layer regions - giving correlations to tribological models and interaction mechanisms.